Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials confirmed Monday morning that they want to host a Formula One race again and that they
are in discussions to bring the series back to the city.
IMS’ position followed comments by F1 leader Bernie Ecclestone published in Sunday's Guardian newspaper
in England. Ecclestone told the newspaper “we’d like to get back there,” referring to Indianapolis, possibly
as soon as 2011.
IMS spokesman Chris Schwartz said he doubted a deal could be reached to host a race in 2011, but he didn’t dispute
the track’s ongoing efforts to get on F1’s calendar.
“We continue to have dialogue with Formula One, and we’ve long maintained we’re interested in hosting their
events,” he said. “2011 would be a long shot. Obviously, there’s a lot to consider.”
F1 left the city in 2007 on less-than-friendly terms after an eight-year run at the Speedway.
The famed Brickyard first hosted the U.S. Grand Prix in 2000 after former IMS President Tony George sank a reported $75 million
into building the 2.6-mile road course and other infrastructure for the race.
In its inaugural year, the race drew more than 200,000 spectators and was thought to be profitable for the Speedway despite
an arrangement that let F1 officials keep all the broadcast revenue.
Attendance began to decline in 2002, and the relationship between F1 and IMS officials began to sour when all but six cars
pulled out of the 2005 race after the first lap due to tire difficulties.
Attendance for the 2007 race was an estimated 100,000—about half of what it was the first year.
The relationship between IMS and F1 became even more contentious in the final year when Ecclestone criticized Speedway officials
for not marketing the event throughout the region.
Despite sagging attendance, city officials embraced the race because it created about $100 million annually in estimated visitor spending and because of the international exposure it offered. That loss was partly offset by the MotoGP motorcycle race, which began in fall 2008.
Ecclestone said Indianapolis had problems, but was probably the best place in the United States for F1.
“It’s only the fact that it’s all the wrong crowd and the wrong people … nothing worked there really,
we’d have to have a big change round,” Ecclestone told the Guardian. “But we’d like to get
back there.”
Schwartz at the IMS said he has no idea what Ecclestone meant by his comments, only speculating that corporate support might
have fallen short of his expectations.
“I’m not sure what to make of that,” Schwartz said. “I can tell you that the crowds were energetic;
they were certainly international.”
Discussions to bring F1 back to Indianapolis this time won’t include George. He stepped down last summer as chairman
of both the Speedway and the Indy Racing League. George has been replaced by Jeff Belskus, the former IMS chief financial
officer.
The Speedway’s efforts to bring F1 back have an ally in legendary driver Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 champion and winner
of the 1969 Indianapolis 500.
“I can’t write the check,” he told the Guardian. “All I can do is support it in every possible
way that makes sense because I believe in it so much.”
"I was just talking to Bernie and he is well aware of that need (to return to the United States). He is pretty switched
on, he's just got to figure out a way," added Andretti.
But Brazil’s Emerson Fittipaldi, a winner of two F1 titles as well as the Indianapolis 500, said the Speedway is not
the right location to host a U.S. race.
“To go to Indianapolis was a big mistake,” he told the Guardian, noting the track layout on the oval
circuit ran in the opposite direction of most races, making F1 cars look slow compared to their Indy counterparts.
F1 has 19 races on its schedule this year. The closest one to the United States is in Montreal. The series’ first race
was Sunday in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Next year marks a historic milestone for Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the running
of the first Indianapolis 500, and several events are planned to highlight the occasion.
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The painting,celebrating Ferrari's inaugural F1 USGP race at Indianapolis, was signed by Schumacher and auctioned at the FCA Charitable Banquet in the Indiana Ballroon during raceweek, raising $25,000 for three local charities - the Julian Center, Indianapolis Children's Bureau and Peyton Manning's Peyback Foundation -
Besides the Banquet, Tony George and the FCA also put together an "on the road" Art Show that brought Gilbert, his paintings and the FCA membership to a welcome reception at the Eiteljorg Museum and a luncheon at the Indianapolis Athletic Club, where other Automotive Artists(some local)displayed their art along with the Club's own Vintage Automotive pieces as well -
Because Tony George and Sports Strategists looked beyond the "Testosterone" arena,
1,200 Ferrari Club attendees and the public experienced a fabulous race together with some great Arts and Culture jewels of Indianapolis -
As for Bernie Ecclestone, he apparently single-handedly created the eventual downfall of F1 in Indianapolis by demanding in 2000 that all Press and Media info go through him first -
So, for him to criticize Speedway Officials for not marketing the event throughout the region - I say "look in the mirror Bernie!"
Back to the Future - F1 can be great for Indianapolis - look at pictures of the 1911 race - many European racecars and drivers - the people on the sidelines - ordinary folk who came to be part of the "thrill of it all" - and kept coming back for more -
Now you rubes are going to be forced to go to China and Brazil and Baltimore, and Alabama. Just to stay afloat. Quite contrary to the "saving American oval heritage" isn't it? Why is the IRL birthing the CART/CCWS again? How hypocritical of it all....
Bernie and his elite crowd care about the money ($20million rights fee) and the high-end party, and Indy just ain't Monaco (or Montreal, or Sao Paolo, Singapore, Barcelona, Abu Dhabi, Budapest, or Melbourne...)
Tony George couldn't market himself to his own family, how the hell was he going to effectively market F1 to the racing public!?
bring it back. market it correctly. wave goodbye to the EARL Crapwagons.
- Tony George may have made mistakes, but investing in F1 was not one of them. We have a world class facility, and IMS needs to put it back to work.
- F1 is different today, and if USF1 could get its act together, a race in Indy in 2011 would be awesome.
- Ya, Bernie can be a jerk, but he knows he needs a US market. Indy is the racing capital of the US (sorry Mr. France)and I bet the local business community has a whole new appreciation for those international dollars now that they've gone missing. Belskus needs a win and this is the right place to get it.
And Thanks Mario ..... we love you man!
F1 is not a player in the U.S because race fans in this country like competitive races, which F1 is unable to supply. What is of interest to F1? Gambling and nationalism.
The U.S. race fan does not have a history of gambling on races. Not saying it couldnâ??t be developed, but it is not there now. Isnâ??t watching cars go fast enough of a thrill? Perhaps not, if you canâ??t get close to it like in F1.
F1 relies on a sense of nationalism, very similar to the Olympics, for drivers and constructors. This, too, is an alien concept in U.S. racing. Too many â??foreignâ?? drivers is one of the complaints of the IRL. One of NASCARâ??s strengths is its, â??good-ole-boysâ??. Massa, Alonso, Kimi and Schumi will never be â??good-ole-boysâ??. Webber, maybe.
A F1 return to the U.S., which F1 needs to satisfy their global sponsors, is destined to fail. A US F1 race would need to be underwritten by a corporation with huge pockets. SAP lasted only a year at IMS. I can imagine only a few sponsors with the wherewithal to sponsor such an event long enough for it to catch hold. Coca-Cola would be one.
F1 has great cars.. Too bad they wonâ??t let them race. I wonder what F1 could do on the IMS Oval?
Since we are talking IMS - I would love a Labor Day weekend 24 Hour World Sports car type endurance race. Close off 16th street and make it a venue for concerts, street performers and ao on and set up a giant ferris wheel on the (unused) backstretch, ala La Mans.
Maybe even kick off the weekend with a 2 hour IRL race on the roadcourse.
Indy can't have F1 racing at the ridiculously low ticket prices charged by IMS (compared to other F1 venues), and the "beautiful people" of the world aren't interested in coming here. Wherever will they park their yachts and private jets?
Bernie would rather have supermodels and "international football" (soccer) stars and the moneyed and titled European class than the biggest crowds ever seen anywhere on the circuit. It's all about his idea of "quality".